You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
OK, well this gets dark very quickly and with little warning! There's an extraordinary premise here, and there were several moments that really blew me away. But there's a lot of ambiguity (whether this is intentional or not I don't know) and the ending in particular is frustratingly rushed. But the two protagonists are quite loveable and the dual narrative really worked.
I feel conflicted about this and I don’t want to! I feel like you didn’t get into the ~true~ conflict of the book until half way in, and I was just waiting for that shoe to drop. But after that, I liked it!!
I absolutely adored this book and I’m so excited to read more from this author. I could not put this book down. YA mystery thriller with queer character characters. Dark Academia with gossip girl-esque vibes that deals with racism. I just felt so attached to Chiamaka and Devon. I just felt like this book was topical and also just a super compelling. Also sidenote the cover is beautiful.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is one of my favorite books. I loved how different the main characters are and how those differences affect their experiences of the world. However, the story forces them to compete against something bigger than either. The mystery builds into a terrifying system of institutional racism and classism that’s been in place for generations, and that twist hits hard. This book balances high stakes and social commentary with tension and genuine character growth. It’s bright, intense, and so well written. It’s one of the few books that had me fully locked in, needing to know how it would end. The author absolutely killed it, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller with real-world depth.